Matariki at Carter - 10 June to 7 July

An Introduction

It's an important time of year as we await the dawn rising of Matariki (the Pleiades).  For some tribes, including the locals from Te Ati Awa, the star they observe for this is Puanga (Rigel).

For many tribes celebrations were held to coincide with the first full Moon after the initial sighting and signified the start of the traditional Māori calender.

It is a time to celebrate culture, language, history, spirituality and people. There has been an increase in Matariki celebrations across Aotearoa New Zealand in more recent years and it has become a core part of our calender.

Matariki at Carter

Here at Carter, we'll be observing Matariki / Puanga from 10 June to 7 July.

This year we'll have a special focus on "Nga Ingoa" - all the names that are part of Matariki and the Maramataka (the Maori lunar calender).

• Matariki themed gallery trails and competition
• Matariki theatre film
• Matariki content in exhibitions
• Matariki themed planetarium content in every show throughout the period

Special Matariki Talk on the Maramataka

Wednesday 19 June

Like many ancient civilisations Māori used the heavenly bodies to track the passage of time.  The regular motions of the sun, moon and stars, were used as clocks for agriculture, rituals, festivities and other activities.

The year and the seasons were signified by the appearance of certain stars and the movement of the sun during the year, whilst the monthly calendar (maramataka) is based on the phases of the Moon. 

In this talk we present an insight into how Māori and other societies used the celestial objects to track time.

Presented by Dr Pauline Harris of Victoria University and members of the Society for Māori Astronomy, Research and Traditions (SMART).

The evening will also include a live planetarium show.

Costs: Adults $18.50 / Concessions $13.50 / Children $8 / under 4 Free / Star Pass holders Free

Pre-paid bookings are essential.

Tuesday Late Nights

11, 18, 25 June and 2 July. Open until 9.30pm

Matariki themed show in the Pelorus Trust Planetarium and telescope viewing (as weather allows).

Costs: Adults $18.50 / Concessions $13.50 / Children $8 / under 4 Free / Star Pass holders Free

Paid parking is available in the Botanic Garden carpark, at the top of the Cable Car on Upland Road.

Matarki Family Day at Carter

Sunday 7 July 10am – 5.30pm

Join the Wellington Museums’ Trust team from Capital E, Musuem of City & Sea and Carter Observatory for a fun filled day of family activities to celebrate the Māori New Year.

Make your own constellation with Capital E. Our iPad technology will put you amongst the stars.

Take part in beautiful crafts and learn about about intricate stories of Māori New Year with Whaea Lisa and our mates from the Museum of Wellington City & Sea.

Or enjoy our "Tycho to the Moon" planetarium show followed by our special live Matariki presentation.

With cosmic competitions and starry spot prizes, this is a stellar day out for the whole family.

Planetarium show times:

10:15, 11:00, 11:45, 12:30, 1:15, 2:00, 2:45, 3:30

Costs: Adults $18.50 / Concessions $13.50/ Star Pass holders free / Children free

Please note: there will be no bookings taken for shows on this day.

For more information about Matariki

We have a limited supply of the Matariki DVD (as shown in our theatrette) developed with Te Puni Kōkiri, te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, The Lotteries Commission, Ministry of Education and others. 

We also have limited copies of the Matariki booklet developed by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.

These are available as stocks last. If you wish to request either of these resources please email felicity.baker@wmt.org.nz

We invite you to check out these websites for more information:

Maori Language Commission - http://www.korero.maori.nz/news/matariki

Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matariki

Te Ara Encyclopedia - http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/matariki-maori-new-year

New Zealand.com - http://www.newzealand.com/travel/media/features/maori-culture/maori-cult...

Te Papa - http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/Education/OnlineResources/Matariki/Pages/Matar...